Courts

Marine Shendo was found guilty by the Los Alamos County Municipal Court for failing to use a seatbelt. Defendant was fined $50 and ordered to pay $65 in court costs.

Kimberly S. Temple was found guilty by the Los Alamos County Municipal Court of speeding one to five miles and hour over the speed limit. Defendant was fined $25 and ordered to pay $65 in court costs.

Brittany Hollwell was found guilty by the Los Alamos County Municipal Court of failing to use a seatbelt. Defendant was fined $50 and ordered to pay $65 in court costs.
Oct. 10

Aaron L. Even was found guilty by the Los Alamos County Municipal Court of failing to pay court fines and/or costs and speeding six to 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. Defendant was fined $100 and ordered to pay $130 in court costs.

Lorenzo E. Ramirez was found guilty by the Los Alamos County Municipal Court of speeding six to 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. Defendant was fined $50 and ordered to pay $65 in court costs.

Christain Chavez was found guilty by the Los Alamos County Municipal Court of failing to use a seatbelt. Defendant was fined $50 and ordered to pay $65 in court costs.

If it weren’t for a bond between two Todd Loop neighbors that once was so trusting and strong that they had each other’s house keys, Los Alamos resident John Craven could have easily been killed.
As such, things ended better for Craven, who will only get three-years’ supervised probation and treatment for his drug addiction, according to a sentence handed out by Los Alamos District Judge Sheri Raphaelson.
According to court documents, Craven’s brush with mortality occurred in the evening hours of Jan. 17, when he apparently decided to help himself to some of Catherine and Mike Ragsdale’s possessions while they were away.
However, Craven’s plans were interrupted when the Ragsdales decided to come home early. According to court documents, when the Ragsdales drove up to their home they noticed their front door was wide open. They were alarmed by this, since the Ragsdales clearly remembered closing and locking it.
Mike went into his back bedroom and retrieved his gun, and started to look around where he discovered that a jewelry box and some drawers have been rummaged through. He went to a bathroom in the residence and pushed on the door. He noticed some resistance. He pushed harder, and when it opened, he saw Craven, the son of the Ragsdale’s neighbors across the street, standing there.

Christopher Davis, the 22-year-old Los Alamos man who was arrested on charges for having sex with two 14 and 15-year-old girls in May of this year, was hit with additional charges.
According to New Mexico Assistant Attorney General Ken A. Graham, the 14 additional charges stem from the same case the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office opened up against Davis in June.
In June, Davis was arrested on four counts of criminal sexual penetration, a fourth-degree felony; one count of criminal sexual communication with a child, a fourth-degree felony; child solicitation by an electronic communication device, a third-degree felony and sexual exploitation of children (manufacturing, a second-degree felony.
At a hearing in district court Wednesday, Graham announced that Davis will also be charged with four counts of criminal sexual communication with a child, a fourth-degree felony; three counts of child solicitation by an electronic communication device with a child between 13 and 16 years of age, a third-degree felony; and seven counts of criminal sexual penetration, a fourth-degree felony.

Deborah Swartzentruser was found guilty by the Los Alamos Municipal Court of failing to wear a seatbelt. Defendant was fined $50 and ordered to pay $65 in court costs.
Oct. 2

Reynal Martinez was found guilty by the Los Alamos Municipal Court of failing to display a current, valid registration plate, and failing to appear in court. Defendant was fined $25 and ordered to pay $65 in court costs. Sentence deferred until Dec. 2.

Wendy J. Hahn was found guilty by the Los Alamos Municipal Court of stopping, standing or parking in a prohibited or specified place. Defendant was fined $50.

Andrea D. Herrera was found guilty by the Los Alamos Municipal Court of petty larceny. Defendant was ordered to pay $60 in court costs as well as spend three days in the Los Alamos County Detention Center.

Deidre L. Thorn was found guilty by the Los Alamos Municipal Court of speeding six to 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. Defendant was fined $50 and ordered to pay $65 in court costs.

Andres Gallegos was found guilty by the Los Alamos Municipal Court of failing to appear in court. Defendant was ordered to pay $65 in court costs. Sentencing deferred until Oct. 31.

On Wednesday, defense attorney Kari T. Morrissey successfully suppressed key testimony in an upcoming drug case involving defendant Rowena MacDonald, a Los Alamos resident.
In November of 2013, MacDonald was caught up in a police sweep for crystal methamphetamine. In that operation, police arrested Los Alamos resident Daniel Hoth, Albuquerque resident David Simmons and others.
Hoth was being targeted on a warrant when police pulled him over in White Rock with Simmons in the car. A search of the car turned up crystal meth in Simmons’ possession. Simmons later confessed to police he had more in a back pack that he allegedly stored at MacDonald’s house for safekeeping, about 42.7 grams.
Police later searched her home and recovered the backpack that did have crystal methamphetamine in it. She was not arrested at the time. Police later called her to come to the station to talk about the incident. According to Morrissey, though they read her her Miranda rights before the interview, they also allegedly deceived her into thinking she didn’t need an attorney, and that they were treating her as a witness.
During her conversation with police, she at first denied knowing anything about what was in the backpack, but later admitted that she did have a suspicion.

If a short exchange between an inmate of the Los Alamos Detention Center and Judge Pat Casados is any indication, the couple that allegedly burglarized together apparently does not stay together.
Ojo Caliente resident Brandi Ortiz-Middlefield, 20, went before the judge Tuesday seeking a waiver for her preliminary hearing, as well as permission to be released on a $5,000 bond until a preliminary hearing is set.
During a question and answer session with Casados, Ortiz-Middlefield let it be known that she and her fiancé, Marcos Vigil, 21, are no longer together.
“I want no part of him, your honor,” she said when Casados asked about her future living arrangements upon release. Vigil is still being held in the Los Alamos Detention Center on $4,000 bail. They were living together in Ojo Caliente at the time of their arrest.
Ortiz-Middlefield and Vigil were arrested in August for allegedly burglarizing a home on Aug. 7 in the 1800 block of Sereno Street in Los Alamos. After an extensive police investigation, they were both arrested at their home in Ojo Caliente Aug. 13, and have been in custody ever since.

Neven Farquhar was found guilty by the Los Alamos Court of driving while under the influence of liquor and/or drugs (.08 or above, first offense).
Defendant was sentenced to the Los Alamos County Detention Center with 90 days suspended, 24 hours of community service and a year of unsupervised probation. Defendant was ordered to pay $241 in court costs.

Probation conditions are: Conditions of probation include obeying all laws and not be arrested or convicted of any other offense while on probation. Defendant will comply with all conditions of probation. Defendant will also enter and participate in all alcohol and drug screening programs, with at least six sessions recommended. Defendant shall also participate and complete DWI school within 90 days. The defendant shall also enter and successfully complete the Victim Impact program within 90 days.

The prosecution and the attorney for Steven Fode delayed Fode’s preliminary hearing Wednesday in the hopes that they can eventually work out a plea agreement.
Fode was involved in a car accident that killed a pedestrian in June near the post office. According to court documents, at 11 a.m. on July 16, Fode was leaving the offices of his former employer, Energy Solutions, located in Central Park Square after a discussion over unemployment benefits.
Fode, upon driving his truck up to the intersection of Main Street and Central Avenue, reversed his truck on Main Street he noticed he could only turn right. When he backed his 2006 midsize truck up, he hit 71-year-old Emily Mares-Lang, who was crossing the crosswalk at the time. Given the severity of her injuries, she was flown to CHRISTUS St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe for treatment, where she later succumbed to those injuries.
According to witnesses at the scene, Fode was looking left and not looking to the rear of his vehicle when he attempted the maneuver. Other witnesses said Fode was backing up “at a high rate of speed.”
Fode’s attorney, Marc Edwards would not elaborate on details of the plea, except to say that “a plea offer has been made that does not include incarceration.”

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A federal judge has scheduled a Dec. 26 sentencing for a northern New Mexico sheriff convicted of abusing a driver during a traffic stop that prosecutors called a fit of road rage.
The sentencing of Rio Arriba County Sheriff Thomas Rodella is scheduled in federal court in Albuquerque before District Judge James Browning.
A jury on Friday convicted Rodella of pulling his gun on a driver and violating the 26-year-old man’s civil rights.
Rodella faces up to 17 years in prison.

Tracy L. Aragon was found guilty by the Los Alamos Municipal Court of failing to pay fines and/or court costs and speeding six to 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. Defendant was fined $100 and ordered to pay $130 in court costs.
Sept. 18

Stephen Martel Day was found guilty by the Los Alamos Municipal Court of speeding 16 to 20 miles an hour over the speed limit. Defendant was fined $100 and ordered to pay $65 in court costs.
Sept. 19

Russell Bainbridge was found guilty by the Los Alamos Municipal Court of speeding six to 10 miles an hour over the speed limit.
Sept. 22

Aaron Even was found guilty by the Los Alamos Magistrate Court of two counts of fraud ($250 or less). Defendant was fined $100 and ordered to pay $126 in court costs.

Jo A. Post pled no contest to the Los Alamos Municipal Court of failing to yield or stop at a traffic sign and failing to display a valid, current registration plate. Defendant was fined $25 and ordered to pay $130 in court costs. Defendant was also sentenced to defensive driving school. Sentence deferred until Nov. 20.
Sept. 23